


The Secret Chord

by Only_Here_for_JatP



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: All the things?, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Hypnosis, I don't know, I'll add more tags as stuff appears, Jealous Luke, M/M, Multi, Nickaleb, Post-Canon, Protective himbos, Season 2 Speculation, your guess is as good as mine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Only_Here_for_JatP/pseuds/Only_Here_for_JatP
Summary: Look it's a season 2 speculative fic! I'm just very intrigued by what Nickaleb will do and this is my take.This is an awful summary I'm so sorry. Let me try again:The day has been saved thanks to Julie! Now that it's all settled why is Nick showing up at her door and acting all weird? Will Luke manage to wrangle his jealousy when Nick and Julie have to work on a project together? What exactly are Caleb's plans for revenge and can the boys save Julie in time?
Relationships: Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 24
Kudos: 93





	1. Jukebox Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> Just a small starter chapter.
> 
> Sorry, but I'm also not sorry.

It’d been a really long day.

Like a really long day.

Like the kind of day that somehow managed to seem like the Fortunately, Unfortunately book from school.

Fortunately, they were determined to play the Orpheum! Unfortunately, they had no idea how to do that.

Fortunately, they created a plan with the help of Willie, and it worked! Unfortunately, they’d then been kidnapped by Caleb and forced to play in his house band.

Fortunately, Julie managed to take a step and be brave for them and play on stage solo! Unfortunately, this meant she thought the boys had vanished from existence.

Fortunately, the boys appeared, and she could be relieved that they were safe and sound! Unfortunately, they weren’t, the jolts were still going to destroy them as they hid in her studio.

Fortunately, she’d found them, collapsed in the dark. She saved them

She _saved_ them.

Now here she was able to touch them. _Touch_ them. She was laughing and sobbing and warm as she huddled with them in this group hug. She never wanted to let go of these boys who meant so much to her, who pulled her through her grief and offered her light. She held on as tight as she could to these boys, scared that any minute the magic would be broken. Scared that any minute this would be a cruel trick of fate and she would lose the ability to touch them.

That they’d cross over and would be gone in the blink of an eye.

She didn’t want them to go, didn’t want them to leave. Yet she couldn’t fathom what might be left in their unfinished business. Here they were happy and safe and okay, so what could be left?

The warmth was slowly seeping out of her, replaced by cold and panic. She could feel her breathing become uneven and ragged. She couldn’t leave them. She couldn’t let go. If she let go, if she took her eyes off them for even a second, they might vanish. She couldn’t. Just couldn’t. She was gulping for air and her boys were looking at her with the beginnings of concern, the smiles sliding off their faces.

This was their moment of joy and celebration; she couldn’t ruin it. Ignoring her racing hearts and burning lungs and plastered a smile on her face. Hoping the boys would let her get away with the obviously fake performance.

She spoke, hoping her voice was stronger and more sure than she felt. “I need to go talk with Carlos and grab some stuff, but could I stay down here with you guys tonight?”

The boys offered her a soft smile, sensing a little her cause for concern. Truth be told they were grateful, their own gnawing anxieties demanding to be recognized. None of them wanted to let go of the other for fear of losing this precious magical moment. They would be more than happy to bundle Julie up in their arms and never let go.

It wouldn’t be the first time they’d all slept in the loft together. There’d been movie nights a plenty in order to catch the boys up on popular culture. Not to mention the late-night whispered song writing sessions where Luke and Julie sat together on the couch. They would be so close that every now and again they would sink into each other on accident. Sheepish smiles would grow across their faces as they reluctantly put the distance back. This time though would be a very special kind of first and the boys felt warmth spread through them as it was proven once again how important they all were to her.

Julie noted the boy’s eager nods and smiles as she retreated from the hug. Her anxiety and panicked still crawled over her skin as a sense of restlessness tugged at her from the inside, begging her to run.

Reggie and Alex stepped away slowly, their eyes never leaving her face. Luke on the other hand trailed his hand across her back, down her arm, and lightly toyed with her fingers before intertwining his hand with hers. He would follow her anywhere, but right now, he was simply desperate to never let go.

Julie shivered as she felt Luke’s not quite warm hand tracing down to her fingers. Even though he may not radiate heat, a trail of heat still followed. She watched as hid hand slipped into hers and gripped it tight. Her eyes darted to his as the rest of the world fell away. They were still tinged with red and dark circles hanging beneath. His actual physical state may scream exhaustion, but his eyes felt so alive. There was light and love pouring out surrounding her and filling her up. She let the feel of his hand in hers ground her as his smile and his joy and his relief traveled through her soothing her restless anxiety, and at least temporarily ridding her of the fear and panic.

Every now and again the thought flashed across her mind that these boys and Luke especially, may be dead, but they brought her to life. A genuine smile spread across her face and she watched Luke perceptible relax as she did. Julie lightly swung the hand that was holding him and with a laughing tone remarked “I guess you’re coming with me”

His smile shifted into one he knew caused pretty much everyone around him to melt as he leaned down to whisper three words softly into her ear.

“As you wish”

* * *

Julie and Luke meandered their way to the house, enjoying comfortable silence and frequent meaningful glances. She couldn’t help the flashes of joy every time they made eye contact and the sudden overwhelming shyness when she looked away. Something was changing and shifting with each small smile and hand squeeze. It was making her feel a little breathless with anticipation, like she wanted to push and rush. Everything in her wanted to pull him close and wait for everything to break and explode and move.

Instead she kept walking, one foot in front of the other, each step growing heavier as she made her way to Carlos’ room. She didn’t quite know how to explain the rollercoaster which had been the past month and thought maybe it’d be better to leave out Caleb. When she arrived outside Carlos’ door, she hesitated.

Luke squeezed her hand and whispered, “You’ve got this handled no doubt in my mind, but if you want some support I’m here.”

Julie could feel herself soften as she squeezed his hand back, “I’ve got this. I’ll meet you in my room in a few minutes?”

He nodded and reluctantly let go of her hand. Sliding out as softly as he had begun, making sure to trail his fingertips along her palm and up her fingers to her fingertips before moving quietly to her room.

Carlos took the news surprisingly well and with all the excitement of a ten-year-old boy. In fact, the most accurate world was thrilled, especially after he did the man-of-the-house threatening bit should these ghosts hurt her. She’d wrapped him in the biggest hug, knowing that her brother would stand by her, even if it meant facing something, he could neither see nor hear.

The moment though that she knew telling him was the right choice came as she stood by the door. He’d tucked himself in, but he sat up slowly and looked at her for a second. She watched his mouth move as if he struggled to form the words before very softly asking.

“Have they seen mom?”

She moved back to his bed and scooched him over so she could climb in. Within seconds, he was curled up next to her, his head buried in her side. Gently, she rubbed his back and hummed a little tune.

“No Carlos they haven’t. However, I can’t help but believe that mom sent them to me. To us. Not to mention, they’re under strict instructions that if they ever run into her in that afterlife of theirs to tell her how much I love her. If you want, I can make sure they tell her you do too.”

Carlos nodded, already drifting off to sleep. Julie made sure to stay until he was completely out, never pausing in the soft circles her hand was moving in up and down his back. Carefully she tiptoed her way out of the room, turning off the light and closing the door behind her.

Julie couldn’t stop the smile slipping over her face at the sight of Luke laying in her bed, hands in the air and mumbling something that sounded like a pep talk under his breath.

Luke was in fact muttering a pep talk under his breath because here he was lying on Julie Molina’s bed in Julie Molina’s room doing his very level best not to touch anything. In fact he very deliberately put his hands in the air so he could keep an eye on them the whole time.

More than that from his very first moment with Julie Molina wrapped his arms, he knew she belonged there. Not that he doubted that before, but after nearly losing her in more than one way tonight he couldn’t bear to wait anymore. So here he was in the most incredible girl’s room hyping himself up that he could find the right words to tell her how much he needed her.

When his eyes caught hers though, a little damp and shimmery, but looking at him like he belonged there some of his fear fled replaced with hope. He stood and slowly made his way over to her, “Julie, I-“

Julie knew Luke. She knew the way he found words in the air and could make them into a masterpiece. She knew he would do anything for his friends and his family. She knew he’d done everything possible to never let her down again, to always support her. She could read him as if they were in each other’s heads. So when he cautiously stepped forward, she could see all the feelings swimming in his eyes. How could she not, when they were in her own?

She took her own small step forward, cutting him off, too excited to wait “Me too.” She thought she might burst at the half sigh, half laugh. She continued, reaching out to wrap her arms around him- “You’re a part of me”

His hand cradled her face so gently, while the other pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Now till eternity.” Slowly he moved his forehead to rest against hers. While he didn’t breathe, he could feel hers against his face. Noses touching, he asked “Can I?”

She pulled him closer in response. She could feel the momentum pulsing through her as she tilted her head, reaching for him.

And then….


	2. Long Story Short, Luke Loses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotta keep the story moving I guess
> 
> Featuring: Interruptions x2, Angry Puppy Luke, Cuddle Piles, Betrayal of the Highest Order, and Homework

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this entire thing won't be composed of fluffy Juke moments. There's more coming. It's the calm before the storm honestly. Take it while it's here I make no promises for after this.
> 
> I'm real sleepy

**_From the Previous Chapter:_ **

_His hand cradled her face so gently, while the other pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Now till eternity.” Slowly he moved his forehead to rest against hers. While he didn’t breathe, he could feel hers against his face. Noses touching, he asked “Can I?”_

_She pulled him closer in response. She could feel the momentum pulsing through her as she tilted her head, reaching for him._

_And then…._

* * *

Then the tell-tale sound of a ghost poofing into the room followed by the sound of an impatient Reggie. “Are you two coming? You’ve been up here for awhile and ohhh!!!”

Luke and Julie sprang apart at the sudden intrusion a blush crawling up both of their faces as they remember what just nearly happened if it weren’t for Reggie’s accidental intrusion. Julie offered a soft laugh at the entire situation while Luke offered Reggie a small glare.

Reggie on the one hand kept looking back and forth between the two of them as if he couldn’t believe he’d just seen it. They’d all known about the hopeless pining, but neither him or Alex had suspected things would move _this_ fast. What exactly should he do here?

More importantly, what did he want to do here?

A quick decision made he moved towards the two and pushed his way between them. Turning to Julie with hands clasped on her shoulders he smiled. “I’m so sorry, he’s an idiot”

“HEY”

“He’s also a dork and loyal to a fault. But also, seriously, he’s an idiot. If he hurts you, you come find me and Alex and we’ll take care of it. You’re an Angel.” Julie was struggling to stifle her giggles as Luke looked at Reggie in shock and horror.

Reggie whipped around, making sure to place Julie directly behind him. He crossed his arms and glared at the sputtering Luke who did not expect this reaction at all. Reggie started pointing a finger at him and Luke found himself subconsciously taking a step back and putting his hands up in a defensive move.

“That’s our most precious person Julie. If you hog her, we will hurt you. If you hurt her, we will find a way to kill you again. Understood?”

Luke found himself nodding rapidly as Reggie stepped out from between them. He offered a small salute before poofing into the studio presumably to update Alex. Luke was still in shock as Julie lost the battle against her laughter.

“Did that really just happen? Did Reggie really just threaten me?”

Julie flomped onto her bed, curling against the headrest and pulling a pillow into her lap. “That absolutely just happened. Looks like I get the band in the breakup.”

He smiled as he settled on the other end of the bed. “You can have them, the traitors.” He looked deep into her eyes and felt the smile on his face soften. Unsure of when he became a nervous, hesitant kind of guy. But here he was, jittery and scared of this powerhouse of a girl with a voice like a wrecking ball who had the power to wreck him too.

Sheepishly he reached to rub the back of his neck, “We should probably talk about that huh?”

Suddenly quiet, Julie offered him a small smile to keep going.

“What if, you and I, were like together? I mean, I can’t really take you on any dates and I can’t really offer you anything. But I just. I just want to be able to stand beside you and call you mine. I want to make music with you and lay in the grass and stare at the stars and hold your hand at the beach. I just want to be with you and be close, but is that enough?”

As much as she loved watching her rambling, nervous, tripping over his tongue ghost boy she thought it might be time to put him out of his misery. “You’re enough Luke. You’ve always been enough. I just want to be with you too however much or little as we can. Whatever that looks like we’ll figure it out.” She reached out and covered his hand with hers, “Together.”

He looked up at her, a twinkle in his eye as he scooched closer to her on the bed. Once more he found himself leaning in until her breath was ghosting across his lips. She was holding tight to his shirt, smiling at how exciting it felt just to reach out and touch him. She leaned into him hoping this time-

Alex poofed into the room. “Wow, Reggie really wasn’t kidding”. Luke glared at Alex while muttering a soft string of curses and pouting. They’d been interrupted twice. _TWICE_. What exactly did he have to do to get enough privacy to kiss the girl of his dreams here?

Alex let out a laugh, clearly enjoying a disgruntled Luke. “C’mon Jukebox. Let’s hurry it up. Seriously Luke, you can’t hog Julie all to yourself.”

Julie murmured to herself “Jukebox?” Alex smiled and explained how Reggie had come up with the name. Luke on the other hand had maneuvered himself so he could pull Julie into his lap while still pouting at Alex.

“And why not exactly? She’s my girlfriend and-“

Alex held up a hand, a twinkle in his eye and a smirk on his face. Oh he was about to enjoy this. “Are you about to tell me that _girlfriend_ trumps _band mates_?” The sight of Luke’s open-mouthed shock gave Alex an endless amount of pleasure. “Is THE Luke Patterson, aka The-band-is-the-first-and-only-priority Patterson, aka Music-is-the-only-thing-I-need Patterson, AKA My-Bandmates-are-my-family Patterson about to tell me, that his _girlfriend_ trumps his _band?”_

Luke switched from sad disappointed puppy to angry puppy somewhere in that whole tirade, although it seemed to have very little effect on his mocking bandmate. He could feel the silent laughter from Julie, and he poked her sides whispering in her ear “Hey! You’re supposed to be on my side.” Yet he saw the glittering in her eye and a look on her face that always spelled trouble as she eased herself out of his arms.

“Well…. I am getting kind of tired andddd Alex does give the best hugs.” She’d walked over to Alex by this point and wrapped him in a hug which he was more than happy to return.

Luke flopped back onto the bed dramatically. “Betrayal! Betrayal of the highest order! She’s been my girlfriend for all of five minutes and already I’ve been betrayed.” Admittedly though, he couldn’t finish his lament with a straight face as Julie and Alex began to laugh and he did too.

Julie began to pack up all her things as Alex kept a watchful eye to make sure the two stayed focus. She’d watched Luke smack Alex in the arm when he thought she wasn’t looking. Her trio of ghosties were brothers through and through and it was nice to watch them finally be able to relax after having their afterlives on the line for so long.

Once she grabbed everything she needed, she turned to the boys and quirked up an eyebrow. “The real question is of course, once we get down there, who’s going to get to cuddle up the closest?” Alex’s face lit up as if he’d had the best idea and Luke, well, he began to eye Alex rather suspiciously as they both poofed out. She made her way down to the garage ready for whatever antics would be in store.

Inevitably, Luke lost. Upon entering the studio, Reggie had wrapped Julie in a hug and refused to let go. Add a little of Alex’s sarcasm and Reggie’s puppy pout and Luke was a goner. They’d all collapsed onto the bed Julie residing in the center, with a Reggie and an Alex curled up on either side, wrapped tightly around her. Luke was on the opposite side of Reggie but managed to reach his arm all the way across to Julie’s waist where her fingers surrounded and tangled with his.

In truth Luke couldn’t complain. He was wrapped up with his favorite people, in his favorite place, and the girl of his dreams was his. It was all he could ever ask for and he settled in to the sound of Julie’s soft breaths and the feel of her pulse on his hand.

The next morning brought sunshine and an overwhelming sense of weight. Julie couldn’t remember the last time she slept so well and so comfortably, except for the fact that she couldn’t seem to move. There seemed to be a steady, reassuring pressure which surrounded her.

At one point she’d tried to wiggle and squirm, but that seemed to make the unmovable forces surrounding her move closer and tighter. Ughhh she didn’t want to open her eyes to deal with this. All she wanted to do was drift back to sleep and she could almost grasp it. It was futile unfortunately and she slowly opened an eye to find that her ghostie boys had shifted during the night.

Alex and Reggie were still pretty much in the same places, but Luke had somehow managed to crawl over Reggie in order to end up directly on top of her. His head rested on her stomach and his arms traveled up the length of her sides while Reggie and Alex’s crisscrossed over her. Of course this brought up the mystery of where her arms were, but somehow she managed to dig one out to play with Luke’s hair.

There were certainly worst things in the world to wake up to than three cuddly ghosts, and there were certainly worst places to be than on the bottom of a ghostly puppy pile. A grumbling broke the silence however, reminding them all that Julie was human and it was time for breakfast.

Her ghost boys groaned and protested, attempting to solidify their hold into a true cocoon. Somehow though, Julie managed to squirm her way free. She padded over to the house to find her father cooking pancakes. She’d definitely had worst mornings indeed.

In fact her entire day was beginning to seem like a haze of warmth and love since she finished breakfast and curled up on the couch with Carlos for cartoons, followed by more snuggling time with her boys. Eventually, she’d gone upstairs to retrieve her homework. The boys had volunteered to help, although she was pretty sure they mostly just want to be within arms distance of her, which meant doing it at the kitchen table rather than her room.

Luke ended up sitting to her left. He sat close enough that they could brush shoulders, but also so that he could rest his hand on her knee. Occasionally, when she wasn’t using her left hand, she’d bring it down to Luke’s and he’d trace circles with his thumb over her hand. Just small undemanding touches that drifted and lingered after she would pull her hand away, needing it once more.

Reggie sat to her right since he seemed to know all the answers. He’d thrown his left arm over the back of her chair so he could better write on the page with his right. She could feel his weight on her back, and it was reassuring whenever she ended up frustrated or hit a particularly tricky equation.

Alex sat on the opposite side of Reggie and his eyes had glazed over very close to the beginning, but she could tell he was still paying attention at least to her. He’d stretched out one of his legs, so it sat directly between her own. She could bring her feet together on either side and feel him there. Every now and again, a tune would pop into his head and his foot would start moving, tapping the ground or the tops of her feet. She wouldn’t look up, but she always let herself take a moment to be distracted and smile before diving back in.

Their reverie was broken at the sound of a doorbell.

Julie got up to answer the door, the boys following along like puppies while holding tightly to the back of her shirt. They stayed mostly hidden by the door as Julie opened it to reveal Nick standing on her doorstep holding a bouquet of flowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A WILD NICKALEB APPEARS!?
> 
> Also brain definitely went- Imma wreck it :) Not once but twice and I let it happen.
> 
> I love y'all


	3. A Wild Caleb Appears and Would Like to do Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick Ni-Nick Nick Ni-Nick Nick Nick  
> Nickaleb (oh no)
> 
> \----
> 
> We stan Carrie in this house
> 
> TW: For negative self talk
> 
> A chapter of just Nick vs Caleb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, 
> 
> I love you. There's some negative self-talk in this towards the end so if you have difficulty with that (like I do) please be safe and careful okay?

Nick was pretty sure this was a terrible idea.

It’d seemed like a great idea last night when he was watching Julie and the Phantoms at the Orpheum. The music was loud, and the crowd was electric. The bass kept up a steady rhythm pounding in sync with his heartbeat and it joined the audience into one body perfectly in sync. He’d felt so alive as if all of his nerve endings were firing at once. His joy came out as an endless ache while he watched Julie perform her heart out, her own enthusiasm evident in every note and movement.

She shone so bright on that stage, more so than anyone he’d ever seen. He’d long since known of her grit and determination, the perks of being in school together since elementary school. Over the years he watched as the little girl with the big voice and no fear stood up to bullies, teachers, and during what came to be known as Fallout 2016 her (ex)friend Carrie.

Julie held her head up so high as she walked through the hallways and he was in awe of her even then. There were still some things he was still working out about himself and she was so unapologetically herself. He’d often wished for her bravery to be that strong.

At the same time, he watched Carrie struggle to keep her head above water. Her dad loved her, but he was absentminded and often off on the road or some tour or party or something, leaving Carrie alone in that big empty house. Before there’d been the joy and laughter of Julie and Flynn echoing in the hallways, but now she sat alone in her thoughts.

It was almost imperceptible to anyone who didn’t know Carrie, after all she’d always been a little rough around the edges, but Nick watched her harsh mask develop. He watched her use deflection and bravado to hide her fraying internal state. Nobody seemed to notice her growing intensity and focus on Dirty Candi, but it seemed like someone needed to do something.

Admittedly his feelings crept up on him. At first, he’d started small interactions as a friendly gesture. Little things like a smile or a wave so he could try to communicate somebody _saw_ her. While she seemed a little confused at first, she soon started flashing him a smirk and a friendly sarcastic comment. Rather quickly their friendship grew, it turned into long conversations at lunch or studying together in the library. What started out as concern turned to pride and warmth as he watched this girl who hurt so much use her unwavering force of will (and a little pink glitter) to get up and meet each day with a take no prisoners attitude.

Once he saw her perform for the first time, he was a goner. That little smirk just did something to his insides. He asked her out and he was happy. They were happy.

Until Julie’s mom died. Whatever fallout might have happened between her and Julie, Carrie loved Rose. She’d been the closest thing Carrie ever had to a mother, and the loss hit her hard. Nick knew Julie would’ve granted her a temporary truce and welcomed Carrie with open arms to grieve. He was even pretty sure Carrie knew deep inside herself somewhere too, but the walls she’d built were too high and too wide to bring them down.

Nick did his best to be there for Carrie, but he knew he wasn’t what she needed. She needed Julie and the Molinas, but it wasn’t going to happen. Not yet. Instead her unresolved feelings ate at her morphing into jealousy and anger and acid. He watched this beautiful typhoon of a girl let the acid and anger consume her. Defenses and walls started going up against him too, until she treated him as little more than an accessory or a chess piece in her one-sided match against Julie Molina.

Beautiful burning Julie Molina who after a year of retreating into a cocoon, hiding from the world and her pain burst onto the stage like a firework. She maintained her grace and inner fortitude whatever the world, or Carrie, threw her way. Above all else though, she was kind. After months of being treated like a doormat, he craved the kindness and gentle protective ferocity that was Julie Molina.

He knew he followed her around like a lost puppy, but even if he couldn’t be with her just being around her made him feel like he could do anything. Be anything, even himself. Her music lived and breathed inside him, the words filling him up and offering him a lifeline when he didn’t even know how close he was to drowning.

He ached to return the favor of her steady reassurance and unconditional acceptance and support. She was incredible and she deserved to know. If he could emulate her even just a little bit, he wanted to try, wanted to practice being like Julie Molina.

Of course, this was how he found himself pacing the sidewalk for twenty minutes, gathering the courage to bring her these flowers. It shouldn’t be this hard. Flowers were a regular post-performance kind of gift. I mean, he did have a crush on her, but she seemed to be into her guitarist? Would she think he was creepy or weird or persistent? He didn’t want to scare her off. Maybe this was a bad idea. He probably didn’t have a shot with someone as incredible as her anyway. He’d like to think he stood a chance since her guitarist was a hologram, but the way they looked at each other….

What did it matter? These flowers were not crush flowers. He would’ve gotten her Dahlias for that. These were simply good job flowers. They’d performed at the Orpheum! That was a big deal. This is fine. This is normal.

A small burst of confidence propelled him forward while he gave himself a mental pep talk in his head. Later he would kick himself for not being more aware of his surroundings, but to be fair no one really expects a tall, mysterious demon man to sneak up behind them.

Yet here he was staring at this man in some steam punk adjacent costume, a smug plastic grin on his face and a mildly threatening atmosphere. He’d rang the doorbell, but he hoped Julie didn’t walk out here while this creep was still around.

“How sweet. The brokenhearted teenager fighting for his girl.”

Nick was taken aback. For one thing, brokenhearted was not the right word. He was hopeful. For another- “Do I know you?”

“No, but you will.”

Nick didn’t even have a chance to react before Caleb’s hands were around his neck. It felt like fire was racing through his veins, consuming him. He couldn’t move, his arms spread wide, but his insides struggled against the invasion. Thrashing and shrieking he screamed inside his mind.

It started in his fingertips and toes, his body feeling like it was too crowded. Like something was growing and pushing him out. He fought so hard trying to stretch and stand up to the purple smoke that was blinding and dividing him. Yet he was losing the battle with every moment. Feeling himself getting shoved and squeezed until he couldn’t feel his arms or his legs or the breaths he took or the beating of his own heart. Until he couldn’t feel the weight of his own tongue.

The world went quiet first. Then it went dark.

Nick came to in a room of boundless dark. He thought about being afraid, but it wasn’t a place where things lurked. He could tell it was just empty. A brief glance showed that he could see himself, slightly translucent maybe, but still there. The space seemed to go on forever and the longer he looked the more anxious he became. His eyes darted from space to space, but it was a never-ending sea of nothingness.

A voice echoed around him, making the world rumble and shake. “Now now, Nicholas. My name is Caleb and it’s nice to meet you.”

“Who are you!? What do you want!? Where am I!?” Nick shouted at the disembodied voice, hearing the fear and trembling in his tone and wishing desperately for the confidence and bravado typically attributed to jocks. What he wasn’t prepared for was the jolt that through him.

The pain stabbed in his gut and it felt like it was ripping him open, piece by piece. He fell to his knees with a scream, doing his best not to sob as the feeling lingered.

Caleb laughed before continuing. “tsk tsk tsk. I am speaking, you just need to listen. I am… borrowing your body for the time being. This little lifer girl and her trio of ghostly boy band made a fool of me. And NOBODY defies my will and gets away with it.”

“What does that have to do with- aghhhh” Nick couldn’t hide the sobs as another jolt shot through him.

“Yeah, I’m going to need you to be a fast learner Nicky-poo. I’m in charge and there’s literally nothing you can do about it. Just sit there and be quiet and maybe I’ll return your body back in one piece. Besides you may not know what I’m talking about, but you’re close with that lifer brat Julie. Her ghosties would never let me get close, you on the other hand, well they can’t stop you.”

Nick felt icy terror roll through him. Julie? This madman demon was after Julie? “No” he wheezed. He kept repeating the word as if it would give him power as he progressively got louder until he was standing and screaming it into the void, damn the consequences. “NO. I won’t let you hurt her.”

Another jolt ripped through him as an invisible force knocked him back. The laughter seemed to echo around the space reverberating into an endless mocking loop. “You? You won’t let me? What exactly are you going to do Nicholas? After all, you couldn’t even defend yourself against me. What makes you think you’re capable of doing anything at this point to stop my plans?”

Nick sagged against the ground. There wasn’t anything he could do. His insides felt hollowed out as hopelessness descended upon him. Useless. He was absolutely useless.

“There you go! Now you’re getting it. Anyway, this is the inside of your head and it can be manipulated into whatever I want. Behave and I’ll make sure it’s somewhat comfortable, continue to fight and defy me and I’ll make sure you relive your worst nightmares. Got it?”

Nick nodded, curling up on himself in defeat. If only he’d stayed home today.

“Good, now I just need to borrow your memories real quick and we can get this show on the road. After all, I have a fight too.”

It felt like someone was slicing his brain into pages and flipping through it like you would a book or a deck of cards. He’d grabbed his head at the pain and briefly resisted before giving into the feeling. It was almost like he could feel the fingers turning through the pages. Flipping through his life as if it were nothing. As if he were nothing. He hoped Caleb got a cosmic papercut.

And then for a brief shining moment there was nothing. No Caleb, no jolts, no rummaging through his psyche, no noise. No world. Unfortunately, what looked like a big screen popped up in front of him. Was that the Molina’s house? Were these his eyes? He almost couldn’t watch as Julie opened the door.

Then there he was again. Alone in the dark vastness of nothing. He let out an empty laugh. Of course, he was. That was him, always alone. Always hiding. Unable to make any true impact on the lives of the people around him. He’d failed to help Carrie battle her darkness and Julie certainly never needed him.

He wondered briefly if anyone would even notice if he was gone. If anyone would even realize this thing that occupied his body was using him like a puppet. He doubted it. No one ever managed to make it past his walls. No one ever viewed him as more than as that blonde lacrosse player, or Carrie’s boyfriend.

He was as unseen and unheard in here as he was for every other moment of his life.

The disembodied voice never said anything, but Nick was sure he could feel Caleb roll his eyes and mutter “teenagers”. Suddenly a couch poofed into existence and Nick settled into it, finding it oddly comforting. He curled himself around a pillow that he’d dragged into his lap, ready to watch his life spin out of his control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love y'allll <3
> 
> This will not be the last of Nick I promise. I've got lots of things planned and most of them are even happy!
> 
> Also Nick def has a type

**Author's Note:**

> I love y'all <3 (please don't hate me)
> 
> I have to go do homework! I'll try to come back to this later today. Anyway, I hope you like it.
> 
> If you have things you want to see, come find me on tumblr with the same username and we can be friends.


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